How Will the Twins Handle Yunior Severino in 2024?

Its worth a low cost shot at a depth piece. At 24 yo, he has time to add some discipline to his swing or he will just be another short term bandage type.  Bring him up at some point and see if he will mature. 

I would have him working mostly at 1st base with St Paul. It also depends on whether the Twins sign/trade for a 1st baseman this winter. 

Yunior is a tough one to have a strong opinion on for me. He hit righties and lefties at an almost identical rate in 2023. Give me 25-30 HRs, league average defense at 1B, 25-28% K rate and the Twins are in great shape. Move Kirilloff to LF Walner to RF. Lewis at 3B, Julien at 2nd and Jeffer behind the plate. With hopefully Jenkins, Lee and E Rod all needing a place to place in the bigs. That's (in a dream world) a pretty solid team for 5-7 years. BUT then the 36.6% K rate says HI! and you think about Gallo or Sano and get a little chill...Maybe another spring in St Paul with clear it up? 

Despite the high K numbers, he's hit a very consistent .270-.280 at his various steps. It's been pointed out that his BABIP has been a bit high, and yet, it's generally been maintained. I'd suggest that's largely because he hits the ball HARD, and seems to hit roughly the same from both sides of the plate.

So while he may not walk as much as would be liked, and may always K too much, he's also shown the ability to actually HIT the baseball. Compare that to someone like Sabato who walks a lot, but simply CAN'T HIT the ball.

I thi k he's got a real shot, as long as the K rate doesn't rise further, and really, should come down some to be truly acceptable. Having reached AAA at 24yo, will those numbers now improve with experience and maturity?

I can see him traded as part of a deal for an arm. I can also see him continuing to play some 2B/3B for versatility, but mostly 1B for St Paul and being possibly ready mid season, if not earlier, to be one of the first "next man up" recalls. 

Another team might really like his potential in a deal. But it would be nice to hold on to him as well.

I stopped reading at, "an undisciplined hitter."

1 hour ago, Minderbinder said:

I stopped reading at, "an undisciplined hitter."

Doesn't that include like at least 80% of a major league players?

I love the fact that he's a switch hitter but Severino is a product of this FO, who drafts, signs, & encourages their players to hit according to this philosophy of hit a HR every AB. All of Sabato's hits at AFL were HRs (I believe).

An interview with Falvey after a successful PS. He contributed the team's success to this philosophy (actually gloating), So IMO Falvey won't distance himself from this philosophy but is still embrassing it. Very unfortunately. So I don't see Severino to have a very good future with the Twins.

Lots of options for severino  ...

Play him or trade him  ...

If he can hit doubles   and homeruns  and drive in over  100 rbi's with a decent  batting average , that is a player we have been searching  for  some years now ...

Let him start in AAA  this spring and see if he is still hitting  like 2023 and if he is , bring the kid up to the show  ....

We don't need players that think they are homerun hitters and don't make contact  , we need homerun hitters that can be productive  and be in the running for mvp at the conclusion of each year  ...

10 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

I love the fact that he's a switch hitter but Severino is a product of this FO, who drafts, signs, & encourages their players to hit according to this philosophy of hit a HR every AB. All of Sabato's hits at AFL were HRs (I believe).

An interview with Falvey after a successful PS. He contributed the team's success to this philosophy, So IMO Falvey won't distance himself from this philosophy but is still embrassing it. Very unfortunately. So I don't see Severino to have a very good future with the Twins.

On the contrary. He seems to be exactly the type of hitter they want. 

10 minutes ago, rv78 said:

On the contrary. He seems to be exactly the type of hitter they want. 

That's what I'm saying

8 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Believe what you wish, but it's only half. 

I stand corrected.

I don't see him making it to MLB this season unless he really turns it around w/ his SOs. I hope.

I'm on the fence.  I like that he HITS.  He may not walk enough, but experience can help with this.  But he's not an "all or nothing" profile like Gallo or Sano.  The fact that they put him on the 40-man however, gives them the option to bring him up out of spring training if he's playing well and Kiriloff is still fighting injury, OR, if Kirilloff is raking, leave him down in St. Paul for a bit.  

A lot of this depends on what the Twins do in free agency or trades.  To me, 1B is pretty far down the list of needs.  I'm focused on two SP's and a CF and maybe one bullpen arm.  Severino is one of the reasons I think 1B isn't screaming need.  And I also love that he's a switch hitter and has power and success from both sides.  That consistency plays well in my opinion and doesn't saddle you with a switch hitter who is clearly better on one side of the plate.

When the Rule 5 draft rolls around, I could see the Twins looking for a pitcher with a particular profile who they think could add "juice" to our bullpen.  That's why a spot on the 40-man roster is so valuable.  

It depends on - his spring training, Kiriloff's health, Miranda's rebound, trades with Polanco and Kepler and injuries.  This is not the time to decide.

He is a piece you had to add to the 40 or he would absolutely get taken in the rule 5.  He does likely need more time at AAA.
 

Hoping he gets a long look at 1B in ST.  I’m guessing they will need to bring in an additional 1B bat if they aren’t sure on Kirilloffs health to begin the season.

So I guy that strikes out a ton and has no defensive value. Doesn’t walk but will run into a cookie in the minors once a week. This is more prospect puppy love. 

He looks like a good add to the 40-man, a player who is on the cusp of finding out whether or not he can play in MLB. I think he makes the most sense as the first man up to play 1B for the Twins next season, rather than getting on the 26-man out the gate. His K-rate is a concern and will be one in MLB once pitchers get a look and some tape on him, because you can really see him becoming someone that chases sliders out of the zone. So he still has some things to work on. Despite that, he still has real talent with the bat, and the ball explodes off of it.

Sure, he was only around average in AAA in comparison to the the rest of the hitter-friendly league, but he also played 2/3 of his games at AA last season and dominated there with really stellar numbers. Landing around average as a hitter in his first 30-40 games in AAA isn't too bad in that context.

He looks like a nice fit as a depth piece for the franchise right now. Let him keep working on the things he needs to improve on and earn his way up to MLB. No scholarships. Having a switch-hitting power bat in the high minors if/when injuries come a-calling is a good thing.

Not sure that I can stomach another all or nothing guy on this roster.  Keep him at AAA if you feel he can eventually obtain more plate discipline, but if not, then look for a trade partner along with other pieces for a SP.

Severino reminds me of Sano in part, not fully, but a sub standard defender that has huge power.  Sano did it more as a younger guy, but Severino was injured when he was younger.  Both strike out a ton.  Severino being a switch hitter could be nice. However, if he does not cut down on strike outs he will be in big trouble at MLB level. 

Sano only struck out at about 28% in last minor season, and 36% at first season at MLB.  Severino struck out at 33% last year in minors. I fully expect that rate to jump a bit as is normal.  Do not be surprised if he gets up to 40% or more, unless he makes some changes. 

7 hours ago, Trov said:

Sano only struck out at about 28% in last minor season, and 36% at first season at MLB.  Severino struck out at 33% last year in minors. I fully expect that rate to jump a bit as is normal.  Do not be surprised if he gets up to 40% or more, unless he makes some changes. 

The leaguewide strikeout rate is 10% higher in 2023 than it was in 2014 which makes Severino's strikeouts pretty much the same relative to league as Sano. From watching a few Saints games it appears Severino is a better fielder than Sano at both 3B and 1B.

Severino will play in AAA and wait for his chance to contribute. That's good depth to have.